John 2:12-22, The Intruding Jesus

What man has the authority to … Claim to be God (Jn. 5:18)? … Say ‘verily, verily’ (Jn. 5:24, 25, etc.)? … Teach in an authoritative manner (Mt. 7:29)? … Grant forgiveness (Mt. 9:1-8; Ac. 5:30-32; 10:40-43)? … Intrude into private lives, demanding change? Jesus did all this.  Today’s passage brings us face to face with this authority!

The story begins in Capernaum (v12), literally “Kephar Nahum,” the village of Nahum.  It was a city of recent origin but growing importance, a beautiful city on the Sea of Galilee.  If you saw it from the south on a clear day, you would see snow-capped Mt. Hermon in full view to the north.  It was Jesus’ new headquarters after leaving Nazareth (Lk. 4).  He was in Capernaum, and it was Passover time in Jerusalem.  So, Jesus and the disciples went up to the capital city.

There were several types of abuses in the temple area of Jerusalem.  The High Priest demanded the temple tax be paid in shekels, meaning Roman money had to be exchanged.  As it is today, so it was then: the exchange rate always favored the High Priest who profited from the business.  Few animals were brought from homes far away, so lambs, sold at a profit, had to be purchased at the temple.  Those brought from home were inspected for a fee.  Historians agree that the family of Annas (father-in-law to Caiaphas) was very corrupt.  It was this corruption, as well as the fact that arrival at the temple was dominated by the noise of the business, that offended Jesus.  He had what every Jew should have: a zeal for God’s house!

So, Jesus intruded.  He turned over the tables.  Coins went flying, rolling across the stone floor.  And tempers flared.  The question, “what sign,” is in essence, who gave you the authority to do this?  Jesus’ answer served to establish the end-game, if you will, of His life and ministry on earth.  Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.  He did not perform a “sign” at this point, to establish His authority.  But He did set the table for the final sign: His resurrection from the dead!  Here is Richard Lenski’s description of the intruding Christ:

The public ministry of Jesus begins with an act of holy wrath and indignation.  The Son cleans His Father’s house with the lash of the scourge.  No halfway measures, no gradual and gentle correction will do in a matter as flagrant as this.  Here at the very start is the stern and implacable Christ.  … Jesus never lost His self-control; if He had, He would have sinned.  The stern and holy Christ, the indignant, mighty Messiah, the Messenger of the Covenant … is not agreeable to those who want only a soft and sweet Christ.

Is it possible you have rejected Christ because you have feigned offense at His intrusion into your life?  Did he upset you, destroying what you had carefully built?  He has that authority.  His intrusion is your opportunity to submit to Him in faith.